death certificate

noun

: an official document that gives information about a person's death (such as when and how the death happened)

Examples of death certificate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

According to a copy of her death certificate obtained by the Post, Allen died from a fatal cardiac arrhythmia. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026

Raudel was shot in the chest, according to his death certificate. — Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026

In December 2017, Manson’s death certificate shed more light on his health at the time of his passing. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026

His death certificate later listed cardiac arrest and coronary artery disease among the causes of his death, with Parkinson’s disease noted as a contributing condition. — Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026

Legal Definition

death certificate

noun

: a document setting forth information (as age, occupation, and place of birth) relating to a dead person and including a doctor's certification of the cause of death

Note: Death certificates are issued by a particular public official, as a city or town clerk. A death certificate is required to document a person's death for certain purposes, as to file an estate tax return or to probate an estate.